court-martial

noun

Definition of court-martialnext
as in drumhead court-martial

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of court-martial The Pentagon began investigating Kelly in late November, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other punishment. — Arkansas Online, 13 Feb. 2026 In 2014, the Navy threatened to court-martial one of its nurses at Guantánamo who refused to force-feed prisoners on hunger strike, who were protesting inhumane treatment and indefinite detention. — Amy Maxmen, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026 The Pentagon is conducting a review of misconduct allegations against Kelly to determine whether he should be recalled to active duty to face court-martial proceedings. — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026 The Pentagon unveiled the probe of Kelly in November, citing a federal law that allows retired service members to be recalled to active duty on orders of the defense secretary for possible court-martial or other measures. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for court-martial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for court-martial
  1. drumhead court-martial
  2. supreme court
  3. high court
  4. inquisition
  5. kangaroo court
  6. judiciary
  7. tribunal
Noun
  • And men like Lang Long, a Cambodian who was trafficked and sold into the Thai fishing industry, are modern-day Billy Budds in a system that lacks even the rough justice of a drumhead court-martial.
    — Alyssa Rosenberg, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2019
Definition of drumhead court-martial
Noun
  • But the editorial boards of both the Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel have continued to watch this supreme court for the past six years.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The negotiations are focused on rebuilding institutions, including Venezuela’s supreme court and electoral commission, to underpin free and fair elections.
    — Helena Carpio, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of supreme court
Noun
  • The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a case about the role race plays in middle school admissions, three years after a majority on the high court struck down affirmative action in college.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In an unsigned, one-line order, the high court rejected an emergency appeal from the Justice Department asking it to freeze the district court order and revive the new rules.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of high court
Noun
  • The point is that an inquisition’s social cost is so high that its victims’ guilt or innocence is only part of the accounting.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their play-off bracket’s final in March led to an inquisition.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 28 July 2026
Definition of inquisition
Noun
  • At first glance, Objection seemed to be a kangaroo court catering to rich and infamous plaintiffs, the latest service in the lucrative sector of digital reputation management.
    — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026
  • Adames would have paid his playing-time penance (as well as a fine to the team’s kangaroo court — perhaps funding a postgame pizza party), and everyone would have moved on from the mistake.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Definition of kangaroo court
Noun
  • Chutkan has also voiced skepticism of responses from government lawyers over her requests for details on plans for the arch, reflecting the judiciary’s growing mistrust of the executive.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The German government has so far refrained from comment on the trial, pointing out that no verdict has yet been reached and the case is in the hands of the independent judiciary.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of judiciary
Noun
  • It was imposed by a labor dispute arbitration tribunal acting under a decision of the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), following the federal government’s request that the negotiations be taken in that direction.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • After the Nuremberg tribunal, the top Nazi leadership were rightly hanged for their crimes, yet even these were not open for public viewing, because that is savagery.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of tribunal

Browse Nearby Words

courtly
court-martial
court of law
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Court-martial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/court-martial. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on court-martial

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about court-martial

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of asunder

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All